Amusement rides are a staple in theme parks, amusement parks, carnivals, fairs, family entertainment centers and the like. In a typical amusement ride, a vehicle seats at least one passenger and moves in at least one direction. Often, the vehicle moves along a track or other pathway and its speed, direction of travel, acceleration and movement are predetermined by the ride manufacturer or operator. For example, in a roller coaster, a vehicle moves along a track. The track can include a number of hills, loops, curves and dips. The direction of travel is determined by the track layout. The speed and acceleration of the vehicle are determined by many factors, including the height of the lift hill, the affects of friction and wind resistance and the overall track layout. External devices, such as linear induction motors or linear synchronous motors are known in the art and may be used to accelerate the vehicle to a predetermined speed at a specific location on the track. In such an amusement ride, the passenger cannot control the speed, the acceleration, the movement or the direction of travel of the vehicle. These are all design features that are fixed at the time the ride is designed.
To enhance the ride experience, it would be advantageous to allow the passengers to control some aspect of the vehicle's speed, acceleration, movement or direction of travel.